Perfect Pecan Butter

A little while ago, I ordered some creamy pecan butter from a Whole30 Approved brand and practically inhaled the jar in the span of a week. I don’t eat peanuts anymore (because they make me feel icky) and almond butter just does not do it for me, but this… this was practically witchcraft. Unfortunately, the price of said creamy pecan butter shoved that magical experience right down the drain and I knew I needed to make it myself. Thankfully, making your own pecan butter is actually incredibly easy. The most difficult part is probably letting the food processor run for long enough without the sound making you crazy.

Weigh out 12oz of pecans and spread them in a single layer onto your baking sheet. They won’t stick so no need to add oil. I used a glass pan so I didn’t put foil down either, but foil is fine if you’re working with a well-loved sheet pan.

Once the oven has come to temperature, toast the pecans for about six minutes – we want them to be fragrant, but not change color.

Pull your pan from the oven and let the nuts cool for at least 15-20 minutes.

Once cool, add all the pecans and a few pinches of salt to your food processor. Begin blending.

The mixture will be very crumbly at first and you’ll need to stop the food processor pretty often to scrape down the sides (this is where that silicone spatula comes in). Keep blending.

Eventually the mixture will begin resembling a nut butter. In total, you’ll be pulverizing the pecans for about ten minutes, but be sure to stop periodically to pull down those sides.

Once your pecans have reached nut butter consistency, taste and adjust salt level for your preferences. At this point, it’s up to you how chunky or smooth you want it to be. If you prefer some nut pieces, stop blending sooner. If you want it to be perfectly smooth, keep it going.

Once you are satisfied with the flavor and texture of your pecan butter, pour it into a mason jar or other container with a good seal. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks – I think it will be safe to consume beyond that timeframe, but I’ve yet to have a jar survive for long enough in my house to test the theory.